The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday granted more time to the Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) for submission of additional documents in a plea seeking early completion of scrutiny of funds of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case filed by PTI leader Farrukh Habib.
Petitioner’s Lawyer Anwar Mansoor adopted the stance that the court had expected from the ECP that it would treat the cases of all parties in the same manners.
The chief justice remarked that the ECP was a constitutional institution. At this, the lawyer pleaded that according to the top court it was an administrative body.
Justice Minallah remarked that the court had already directed the ECP to deal with all the parties equally, adding that the court respected all constitutional institutions.
The chief justice questioned how it could regulate the commission, adding that if the petitioner had any complaint then he should first approach the ECP. He asked how the court could pass a judgement before the decision of the ECP.
The lawyer said that they had also submitted an application in the ECP for dealing with all parties in the same way.
The court inquired about the application and the ECP’s decision. The lawyer prayed the court to grant more time for submission of additional documents. The court accepted the request and adjourned the hearing.
Meanwhile, the ECP granted two more weeks to the PTI for submitting documents in the prohibited funding case.
On the plea of the PTI’s lawyer, a four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja adjourned the hearing pertaining to the show-cause notice against former prime minister Imran Khan in the case until September 19.
Lawyer Shah Khawar submitted that the PTI had sought information about donors from its foreign chapters. “We have to receive some information from the party’s foreign chapter. We want to give you proper documents. It will be better if we are given two more weeks,” he said.
The National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and other documents of Pakistani donors were being sought for submitting a comprehensive reply, he said.
At this, the ECP bench gave a fortnight to the PTI for submitting the documents.
The CEC said that it should be ensured that time was being given for the last time. He asked the PTI to submit replies so that arguments could be started in the next hearing.
He said that two weeks had already passed, while an ECP member said that the hearing of the case had been ongoing for the last 8 years.
